Four places in the West offer hiking in a wonderland of geological formations and colorful vegetation.

Nevada's Valley of Fire Rusted rocks that look like a sleeping man, an elephant, a beehive—these and other geological oddities dot the Valley of Fire, an hour outside Las Vegas off I-15. Nevada’s largest state park offers roughly 42,000 acres of sandstone shaped by wind and rain, some of it striped in rainbow shades. In spring, the plants seem tinted too: “With the yellow, purple, and pink flowers against the green grass and the deep blue sky, it’s like a Thomas Kinkade painting come to life,” says park representative Sandra Hufford. (702) 397-2088, parks.nv.gov/vf.htm.

Mojave's Hole-in-the-Wall The name Hole-in-the-Wall makes this corner of California’s Mojave National Preserve sound vacant, though the camping and hiking spot is anything but. It’s filled with rose-colored spires sculpted into holey splendor by volcanic action. Find the visitor center 20 miles north of the Essex Road turnoff on I-40. (760) 252-6100, nps.gov/moja.